Water softening system



SePt' 12, 1933- F. x. LAUTERBUR ET AL 1326581 WATER SOFTEN ING SYSTEMFiled Aprii 12, 1929 4 SheetS-Sheet l ?;mu z INVNTOR.

BY Jzw w..

Sept- 12, 1933. F. x. LUTERBUR ET AL 1,925681 WATER SOFTENING SYSTEMFiledbApril 12. 1929 4 SheetS-Shee'c 2 0 ooo o 00000 oo INVENTOR-Lwekm-` BY W mu v JZJM.

SePt- 12, 1933- F. x. LAUTERBUR E'r AL 1326581 WATER SOFTENING SYSTEMFiled April 12. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR-S` ;IMAXKM By MM ATTORNEY'S` SePt- 12, 1933- F. x. LAuTERBuR ET AL 1326581 WATER SOFTENINGSYSTEM Filed April 12, 1929 4 Shee's-Sheet 4 INVENTORS BY W m.

,4 TTORNEYJ' 21, 1928, we have disclosed asystem for controlling cyclesof regeneratiom washing 'and softening in accordance with the volume ofsoft water used.

Patiied sepi. 12,'1933 UN'ITEDSTATES WATER SOFTENING SYSTEM Frank X;Laute vrbu'r andEdward J. Sidney,V Ohio i Lauterbur,

Application Apfi1`1a1929. serial No. 8.5.4.622 f 4 Claims;V

Our invention relates to` water softening systems primarily in whichbaseexchange silicates areV employed for softening the; wateizand .in whichthe base exchange silicates are intermittently revivified by means ofatreatment With an alkaline reagent, such as` salt. andin whichmechanism isprovided for automatically determining the durationzof thecycles of softening and regeneration.

In' our application serial No. 248,489, med Jan.

- system in which channeling in the softening' tank is avoided by'analternate introduction of re-w vivifying reagent atdiiferent levelswithin the softening tank. Our invention; as herein disclosed, relatesto `improvements in the' systems described in theaforenoted'applicationsin'thev simplicityifofoperation and constructionlof the' aforesaid systems andin the adjustability of the ing tank to amarked degree.

. ofhgh Velocity spray. u

systemsto meet varying conditions .of pressure, and hardnessof Water;

Among the specific objects of 4ourV invention is the provision` of highVelocity spray,rthe alternate use `of which avoids channeling in thesoften- It is among'our objects to automatically regulate this high velocity sprayso that at` certain predetermined intervals during theregeneration period it will become effective. In connectionjwith. anautomatic control for the c'ycles .of regeneration andsoftening it'isour object to provide a mechanical'connection which will lcontrol the`alternate .periods `As the cycles of operation of the water soften ingsystem are, in our preferred embodiment, dependent on altime element inthe form of an electric motor, it isione of our objects to providea'simple mechanicaladjustment from 'the i drivelfor the motor which willpermit: changes inthe intervals of operation; There are two variationsin water conditions in various localw ities, andat various elevations inthe same lo- `(':ality,.which make it advisable to provide onstandard'equipment convenient adjustments for varying the percentagetime of the revivifying Hstage relative to the`washing `and softeningstage,1

and also for Vvaryirig the duration of the inter- .vals ofthesu'ccessive stages ofioperationhOne adjustment shouldibefor'varying.conditions of Ahardness of i. water,` and another'` should compensatefor varying water pressure either due to Further in ourapplicationgSerial No.` 317,004, filed Nov. 3, 1928, we have discloseda' (Cl; 210----24)'`` i variations or 'fiuctuations UinV theV supplyorto the elevation at which the 'softeningvsystem is installed. 11

.It' is our object therefore to'providersimplef ,adjustments in the'mechanism-.ofthe'control for the cycles of zoperation; for differentdegrees 1 of hardness of water, and also to provide tad- -'.justmentsfor varying water pressures.A

willbe made in vthe ensuing disclosure We accom- The above andotherobjects to which reference plish by that'certaincombinationandarrangementof parts of which we .have illustrated sev-'n' Referringto the drawings:` i Figure 1 lis a plan view of softeningfapparatus eralpreferredr'embodiments of our invention. l

showing the:v general layout of the pressure tank, A

andisoftening Vand regeneratingy tank'sf` i .FigurefZ is a'side`elevation of .the layoutv indiir cated in Figure. 1.' c

Figure is a side elevation of meterhead and mechanism for'controllingthe`` cycles of regeni eration and alternation. l

Figure 4 is anend elevation of thealternation valve for controllingintervals of highlvelocityA spraying of the regenerating medium.

Figure. 5 is aplan view ;of the calibrated dis by' which compensationmay be made for varying degrees of hardness of water. t

Figure 61s al sectional view of thecarrier'plate Vfor the calibratedvdisc 'shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detailsidefelevation of a preferred type of' controlvalve.,

Figure 8 is a side elevation'of the motorcontothe' house service duringth washing stage. i i

Figure 9 is a plan 'view ofv the piping withinthe softem'ng tank. i i

e regenerating and trol; and cam,mechanism for passing hard Water Figure10is a detail view 4of the cam control mechanism for ure '7.' i j Figure11 is a side in the softening tank shown in Figure 9.

Figure 12' is a detailview of the cut out switch and cam controlfor usein a full-automatic con- .trol system, such as is shown in Figure 3.' i

the Vbypass .valve vshown in: Figelevation of the piping with- Figure 13is aside elevation of the flexible adjustable connections .between theimotor and the operation. -V

reduction-gear box for varying the intervals of 1-'05 Figures 14 andl'indicate plan and side ele- 1' vations respectively of'ra preferred'type' of advi justable cam for controlling the cycle of operaition ofthe wastevalve.

' Figures `16 and l'lindicate plan` and side eleva-` .110W

' tions 'respectively of a modified type of adjustable cam forcontrolling' the brine Valve.

Referring first to the general layout of the softening system, we haveshownthe softening tank 1 to which water isintroduced from the hardwater service main through a pipe 2. There is no valvefor shutting 'offthe hardwater from the servicepipeflto thesoftening tank, as the cyclesof 'operation are controlledby Valves placed on the regenerating fiuid'supply pipes and the waste or drain lines. The hard water supply pipe,to the softening tank however, may have' a two way valve in it tocontrol cyclescoflhigh Velocity spraying during the regenerat'ing stage;which will be hereinafter describedz.. i

The mechanism for controllingthe cyc1es1of1? operation of the softeningsystem are`` shown as.v` housedA in Va casing'3. The meterfli,l throughwhich soft waterpasses'through a pipeto'the. soft, water pressure tank6,l controls the starting ofsan electric motor, housed withinthe.casing. The brinetank isindicated at.. 7 and a1pipe=8 is.` indicatedthrough which brine solution or other:

` regeneratingfiuid is drawn intozthe hard water jsupplypipe.v Further,there. is diagrammatically indicated a'sup'ply pipe 9.7through` whichwater. is introduced to dissolvezthe chemical regenerzt-v ing materialin the ``brine tank; V.'I'hesoftlwater line'to'th'e houseserviceis'indicatedfat 10. It

mayxhave a checkvalve in. it toV prevent water from-.fiowingbackfromthe. softwaters during ;regeneration and` softening;

e'rvice VflI'he general arrangement of piping i is V dis-- closed in'our co-pending'.applications and-plays jectf to .disclosef h'erein..Our present;linyentionl relates more to. the mechanisrrt" house'd'?within' L the.` casing^=3,z and ;to improyements; in =theadr-'-justability of the controls 'for varyingconditionsf Referring, now .toFigureiandf tor the: otherfd'eta'il views,-1we` *havel indicatedfwn'e:waste' 'or drainfline f' sult1'.

at 11. A tee, shown in Figur'esf'zlandf'Z/onfxthefi. softrwater line. tothe meter; provides anf'outlet fr'omll thef tank! lito .th'ef valve?12;'V which, .during cycles of operation, isfopenedffand closed byrtheacam13. The'brine.valveflwhich'zduring cycles'sof regeneration: is;openecL -v istindicatedliatfll; having-;1. a control cam 15 therefor'Aftweway:valve;16'1is1-T` alsof indicated ;which changescthe vcoursevofffthe regenerating. fluidiior? inlet-hard water: supply i to '2 causethe' periodyo-fhigh Velocity; sprayingzjto break down thetendencyiforzchanneling'-to -fzreflv We avhave showrr z-in Figuref :4onei-type of two af V;wayfvalves whichwcon'sistssofahousingxhaving.:

a single inlet port 17, and two' discharge'ports 118? andzlgiconnecting; with".=the ..lpipes`frlafi 19a;-. .and Controlled by thevalves 20 and 21.respectiVely,-' which are.:mountedf;onf'a-rockerLZZ.The rockeri is `mounted :on? piVotz-.pirrf which smay:Iv be's:

rockedbaok and forth to cause water to flowfv either-through the'dischargepipeilf of thefdis charge pipe 1.- lSax. One' of= theTpipesi'leads?` to: Va distributingfhead -24:located ifi :the bottom:offthe i" softening z tankf; and- *theft other fleadss` to: -az=high9=Velocity nozzle' 25 having-z afseries 'f of: restricted-z` spray,orifices -26, which,4 particularly'r whenftl'le pressure isreleased;'causefwaterpassinghrough base exchange silic ates breakingdown channelev pipe'are. preferably, 'of the normallyclosed ;types Thevalveszonthevbrine line and'onvtheswastet e81 bracket 28 is securedonthevalve bonnet and af pivotecl arm 29 pivoted in-the bracketfatf30Vcarries a roller which engages the surface of the it'is' only' requiredto be open during periods valveisopen. An extension 29a of Vthe arm 29bears against :the by-'pass Valve stem and thus Opens'andacloses theby-pass 'valve coincidently with the opening and -closing of the .wasteline valve." .1 i

The general' 1 arrangementz' for controlling.: thescycles of operationof,the waste, drain1and'alter'--- nating. Valves ;'iszzin accordancewithlthe system-'a describedin our copending'applications:` Th'e'fmeterehasa sh'aft'. 32' which is -:suitably1geared'1f withV` reference to .themechanis'm 'of-fithe meteri,EV

so that withzthe usage ofa certain'Tpredetermined.:

amount .of soft water, the mechanismwill'start`l the operation inducingthe 'cycles'offregeneration' 1053,-

and washing, VOn thesshaft V3? 'we havermountedff" a wormrdrive'gearwhich .engagesia worm 3411' mountedfon` a shaft35. The shaft'35lfias'faikeyI and key. way y36 .thereiniwhi'ch fholds a :sprocket 'iwheellS'l in slidable but non-irotative position onilo',

.Below the shaft'we havefmounted, on aispind'le: 38, av disc BEL-whichas indicated in1Fi'guref-5 has.v Va series of 'concentric' orifices .40or'depressio'ns'" therein; Each series is'spacedso thatf'the-.orififices thereinwill' registerwith the: teeth 41'4 of 'i thesprocket wheel37'.- It will be apparent,` there;

fore, vthat the'outer series will 'have more orifi'ces in it'th'antheiserie's nearerv the centenoffthe. disc, and :that theAsprocketz'driveforthe-disc:- will cause morezrapid rotation of thediscrelaw tive to' a given rotation of the shaftB; thexcloser I it isengaged toward thecenter of the disc; There may "be'for' example, onehundredorifices'in the out'er: series and twenty.-five` in'the' inner-imost of the. series; The rate of rotationiofl the" disc willconsequently be one fourthias'fast-when' the' sprocketfis seated 'in theoutermosti.series. of orifices, than-.when it isseat'edi'in.the'linner-L most, and by calibratingzthe seriesxof orificesrelaj tive toithe hardnessof the water to' `b'e't1'eated',5 the cyclesof operation of the: controlxmecha? nism'will be fourl timesasfrequentgwhen vthe sprocket 1 isV seated fin the innermost series'than when it is seated in the outermost.` v, As an example of how-isir'nple'v it' will: be: to adjust for various .degrees of;hardness,:if,` in'onef locality the hardness. iseightgrains,.the*device may be set 'with the'sprocket inthe'outermost"series, Whilevif, in vanother 'locality the. hardness is thirty twograins; thefsprocketwillf be'set in'? the innerrnost series."- Theintervening2seriesof 'orifices may, .of course, be'graduated'fordegrees` of vhardness between the ,eight grains and thirty'v two grains.

hardness maybe suitably 'calibratedff i plate 1;;2, which: has a lugs43vwhich'gextendsz* The example given 'is' merelyt form.A purposes ofexample, as 'it will' be*apparent'fthat,- With the system notedv anydesiredf: ranges: off' Below thedisc 39 we'have provided? a carrierV Awithin a` slot 44, in `the calbrateq disc.

carrier plate to be carried on beyond a deadicen-l ter position ofthe'tripping mechanism .for the` electric switch 45, which isconnectedwithwires 46 to the electric motor'47, which' drivesthe' cam.

Operating mechanism, vas will ,be hereinafterdescribed, Extending from`,the periphery ofithef carrier plate there is a lug 48, which trips aforked lever 49 which closes the switch 45. Fixed i on the pivot shaft50 of the forked lever 49 there be pressed `down to allow :tro'l for thetwo way valve, which during certain `is an arm `51 which engages one ofthe cams of the mechanism which is se't in operation.

when the electric motor 47- isw started up.

Referring to Figure 12, which best indicates the necessity of thehereinbefore described mechanism it may be stated that if theimeter wasvmerely 'provided with a mechanical connection to close the electricswitch of the cam Operating mechanismwithout any provision for resettingthe tripping mechanism for the Vnext cycle' of operation,'while themotor might be stopped'theV against the hub 53 of the carrier plate 42,so that in setting the Vsprocket for a delsired series of orifices thecarrier plate and calibrated disc may sufficient clearance for thede'sired setting; w When the motor is started up, it drives a series ofreduction gears Within the casingywhich control 'the operation of thecam shaft 54 'on which the control cams are mounted. As apreferred typeof drivefroin the motor to a shaft 55 of the reduction gear box, we haveindicated in Figure 13 a series ofipulleys 56 von the motor shaft,having different diameters, and a series of pulleys 57 on the reductiongear drive shaft, also having different diameters with a flexible belt58 driving the gear reductionV shaft. By moving the belt `from one setof pulleys to another the speed of operation of the camshaft 54 may bevaried; 'Such an adjustment permits the owner of the establishi l mentin which the softener is located to increase or decrease the intervalsof cycles of regenera- V tion and softening, depending on variationsinwater pressure, and by positioning of the flexible belt a longer orshorter ratio of periods of opera-` tion may be readily brought about.This is merely one example of the many advantages of providing amanuallyand quickly adjustable connection between the driving motor and the camOperating vbe fixed on the cam shaft v54 and the cam disc `13h providedwith an arcuate slot 13c, which through a nut 13d permits the'cam disc13h to be rotated relative to the cam 13a and fixedby means of the nut13d with a desired lo'w portion 138 on the compound cam.

VInF'igures 16, 17, we have shown a cam disc adjustable relativetheretoby means of a slot 15a and nut 15d which also permits adjustment for avariable size of the low portion 15`e of the com-' 'pound cam. Thus, wemay provide cam adjustments which will permit Variations in the relativetiming of the cycles of operation of washing-and regeneration.

In Figure 3 we have shown a preferred con- 1,9263681 The length of theslot willbe sufficient to ;allowthe intervals directs the-flowvofgliquid through the 'nozzle' 24 and then throughout other-intervalsdi-` rects the flow of liquid`` through the high Velocity sprayerihead25.4 Thevalve'rocker pin-2hasat-v tached Vthereto a lever* 59 whichzispreferably: tensioned with a spring 60. 'During the rotation'of the cam13, alug lmounted on the outer surface of,"the cam :trips `the,valvefrocker i lever .and changesthe. direction'of fiow of theliquidwithin the'softening tank; f

Theoperation of the automatic systerngasV has beenstated, consists incontrolling the cycles of starting of the motor actuating'thecammechanism. by means of' a connection with the meter". on the soft waterline. In a semi-automatic system the switch 45 may be closed by a pushbutton in the house. When'the meterhas turned to such` a positionthatthe predetermned amount of soft water has been used, the sprocketturns the calibrated disc so that the'carrier plate lug 43 is picked up'at the end `of theA slot 44.V The lever '49 then closeslthe switch` tothe motor and thev motor Vstarts to rotate.. The brine valveand wastevalves are then'iopened forthe required periods. Nea'r,` the end of therevolution of the cam.. the arm 51 moves up'overrthe high portion 62.TheV forked arm 49,rocks\clockwise as indicatedrinFigure 12, advancingthe disc 42 to the'limitrof movement of the lug 43 in the`slot44 andallowing the end 63 -ioff'thev lever 49 to clear ay position in-which itwould block further movement of the lug and further rotation of thedisc.: The end of the arm 51 then drops into the depression'in the cam,the 1 contact in the control switch is broken,` andthe motor caused tostop. Thenl after the meter disc has rotated, due to'the use of softwater, the pin 48 engages the end 63 of the' lever, closing .the

of the arm 51 rides along the'cam holding the switch in contact. i 4 IWhile we have shown only our preferred mechanism'for automaticallycontrolling the cycles of contact switch starting the motor, then theend'A operationof a water softening system, it willbe,

understood that we include within thescope of our invention suchmechanical modifications as will occurto others skilled in this art.

Having thus described our invention, what -we` I iclaimv as new andVdesireto secure by Letters said mechanism for -varying its Vrateof'rotation relative to said meter control to compensate for differentwater pressures, said means comprising an electric motor and a reductiongear box with variable speed imechanism therebetween` com-` prisingdriving and driven pulleys' of different diameters 'and aflexible'driving belt.

trolling cycles of regeneration and washing and with means for settingsaid mechanism Iin operai tion, means for adjusting said mechanism for15a fixed on the cam shaft 5'4vwith a cam disc 15b of regeneration andwashing, means for adjusting different water pressures, said meanscomprising anielectric'motor and a reduction gear box with z.

135 2. In a directpressure water :softening system 'i `havingelectrically actuated mechanism for con-

